Bittersweet Victory
by meetjasper
Summary: Aiden Belikov is a troubled 15 year old junior at St. Vladimir's Academy. In the school's history there has only been one other student to be this disturbed, so who better then Rose Hathaway to teach Aiden that there's more to life then bad behaivor.
1. Meeting Hathaway

** Opening my eyes, I instantly know there is something wrong, I can sense it. Looking around I realize I'm back at the Academy, more so I'm back at the Academy handcuffed to a hospital bed ****with a bandage on my head. Blinking I raise my head and see two Guardians standing outside my door, I sigh in frustration and look around the room some more and see that it's windowless. **_**Well there goes any chance of escaping.**_** Running my free hand throu****gh my shaggy hair, I pull a bobby pin out of my pocket, starting to precisely and effectively unlock the handcuffs. **_**Maybe I can fight them. **_**Sliding out of bed I slowly walk towards the door and pull it open and instantly get into a fighting stance.**

** "Belikov" I turn at the sound of my voice being yelled giving the Guardians the edge they need to grab me without any trouble. I throw an elbow into the first guy's face and kick at the second momentarily stunning them. I take their slight pause as my chance to run. Turning I sprint down the hall, running straight into some chick.**

"**Get out of my way!" I yell bumping into the kid, landing on my on back on the ground, when her fist connects with my face, her small body holding me down. Her tiny fame isn't much. Hitting her in the face with my elbow I watch her wince. "I'm sorry did I hurt the baby?" I mimic trying to push her back.**

"**That's Guardian Hathaway to you" She says.**

**Next thing I know I'm on my stomach, my hands tied behind my back. "You're kidding me right," I say laughing," Seriously, there's no way you're a guardian. What good would you be against a Strigoi you're tiny. They would kill you in like five seconds." She smiles walking me back to where the Guardians stand looking pissed off.**

"**I think you lost something guys." She says handing me over to Guardian Youngblood.**

"**Hathaway! What brings you to the Academy?" asks Guardian Dawson smiling at her.**

"**I was sent to mentor one of your troubled students." She answers. Watching her talk I take in just how beautiful she really is. Her dark brown, almost black hair is pulled back into a ponytail a few pieces has fallen out framing her face. She turns her head and I see her promise mark, with several small lightning bolt tattoos beneath it.**

" **Which one?" asks Dawson.**

**I watched as the two men check her out. For some reason I could feel anger rising up inside me. "Aiden Belikov." She answers pushing the loose hair behind her ears; it just falls back in her face though.**

"**You're lucky day then Hathaway. You just handed him over. Rose Hathaway meet Aiden." Her face fills with surprise which she quickly masks with a look of indifference. My mouth drops open and I look between the three guardians.**

"**You're kidding me right? I mean look at her, she's so small. I could squash her." I yell the two guys bust out laughing and she just stares at me her face never wavering, not once showing emotion.**

"**You know kid your smart mouth is really getting annoying. If you have a problem we can go take it up with Kirova." She says grabbing my arm and leading me away from Youngblood and Dawson. I snatch away from her, causing her to hold my arm even tighter. For such a small person I have to admit that she is strong.**

" **What the hell did you call me," I ask," and for the love of God can you untie my damn hands?"**

**She looks up at me, her face emotionless, "Good try Kid, but I don't trust you." She answers pulling me further down the hall toward Headmistress Kirova's office.**

"**You've known me for all of five minutes, what could possibly make you not trust me. You don't even know me." She stops causing me to snatch back.**

"**I probably know you better then you know yourself." She answers I turn and catch a glimpse of her, the real her, not the mask she had been wearing since learning who I am and then as quickly as it came it was gone. Once again she wore her mask of indifference. "Come on we've got a meeting to attend." She starts walking again pulling me along.**

"**With who the wicked witch of the west?" I look over at her and see her trying to hide her smile.**

"**You shouldn't say that. It could get you in big trouble." She says stopping outside of Kirova's office. She knocks on the door and then enters.**

**We walk into the office and I see Alberta, Kirova, and my dad sitting around a ta****ble that's set up in the middle of the room. I walk over and sit next to my dad. Turning in her seat Kirova watches as Guardian Hathaway walks out of the room, turning back toward us when the door shuts. "It's good to see you again Dimitri." **_**What's it been**__** dad, three months since I last heard from you?**_

"_**I jus**_**t wish it was under better circumstances Alberta." He answers, looking at him I swear I can see her face in him, the way they carry themselves and the mask they wear is too similar for a coincidence. "****What has he done now?" he asks turning his eyes to me. I look away and stare at my shoes.**

"**He tried to run away. He knocked out three Guardians before he was knocked unconscious" spoke Kirova reading from a case report sitting on the table in front of her****. I raise my eyes and glance over at my dad. **_**Man does he look pissed.**_

"**What course of action do you plan on taking?" He asks his tough exterior never once faltering.**

" **Well as you know St. Vladimir's had only had one other student to behave in this manner." Spoke Alberta glancing between me and the door.**

"**You mean Rose don't you?" asked my dad a shadow of smile lighting his face as he said her name.**

"**That's a correct assumption. Aiden isn't as bad as Rose was, but we wouldn't like to take any chances. Rose may have turned out as one of the greatest Guardians of our time, but the destruction and loss it took for her to get there almost ruined her. We don't want Aiden to be haunted by what he did as a novice, like Rose was." spoke Alberta looking at me. "You will make an amazing guardian-one day- Aiden, but you're digging a hole that's going to be hard to get out of." I just sat staring back at her.**

"**What do you want me to say? I'll try to do better? That I'll attend classes and not party?" I asked "If I don't what are you going to do give me community service. I've had that so much they ask when I'm going to come back. Face it Kirova you have nothing to threaten me with." I look over at my dad as watch as his face fill with recognition.**

"**He really is just like her."**

"**He is Dimitri and he's right all we have left for him is expulsion." answered Alberta locking eyes with my dad.**

"**I've known you since I moved here Alberta and I can sense that there's a but coming." She smiles at him**

"**But we think we have a solution, one that happened to Save Rosemarie when she was his age." I look back and forth between the three adults.**

"**Who the hell is Rosemarie?" I ask, "And what does she have to do with my punishment."**

**Alberta and Kirova look over at my dad and smile." She was a trouble maker who was best friends with the only living Dragomir. She was a great Guardian, but her attitude was horrible. She was always fighting. I was sent here to become Princess Dragomir's Guardian and had to go and find them. When we got back she was pulled into a meeting like this one and threatened with expulsion. I stood up for her and ended up becoming her mentor." He looks at Alberta as he finishes. "You're giving him a mentor?" He asks. Alberta shakes her head yes.  
**

**Standing up Kirova walks over to the door and motions for whoever is outside to come in. Opening the door I watch as Guardian Hathaway walks in and sits across from my dad. I look over at him and his face isn't blank like normal, instead it's full of shock, excitement and I think love.**

"**Hello Guardian Belikov." she says sitting across from my dad.**

"**Guardian Hathaway." he says his voice catching as he says her name. "What are you doing here Rose?" I can hear the love for her in his voice. This was why my mom left. She had said he never really loved her. I never believed her until this moment. The way he was looking at her blew the way he would look at my mom out of the water. He was in love with her.**

"**I was sent to mentor Aiden." She answers her eyes never leaving his. It's like they're the same side of a magnet being pulled together no matter how much they fight it.**

"**What the hell is going on here?" I ask looking between the adults in the room.**

"**You're being given a second chance, a new beginning." She answered like it was the simplest thing in the world.**

" **What makes you think I want a second chance. Maybe I want to get out of this hell hole." I say smirking.**

"**Aiden Kristofer Shut your mouth and take what you can get." I look over to where they sat. I watched as her face flashed with pain, regret, and lost love.**

"**I know because I was once like you. My parents dropped me off here when I was four years old. My mother is the great Janiee Hathaway and I never knew my father until much later in my life. I went through life alone, much like you are now. Yeah I had friends, but it wasn't the same. I acted out and fought all the time, which landed me in this very office. I swear I spent 75% of my school career in here. I partied a lot too because if you're high or drunk you can't feel the loneliness and pain. I cussed because even if you're saying something bad at least someone is listening to you." The other three adults stare at her as she finishes. A slight blush appears on her cheeks.**

"**Roza!" I hear my dad and I look away. The look of shock on his face is too much. I guess he never knew this part of her.**

"**No Comrade. It's okay. I lived."**

**Looking at Alberta I watch as she stands, "That should be all. Aiden you're on probation, which Guardian Hathaway will tell you all about." We all stand and walk out of the room, once in the hall I turn towards Hathaway and my dad.**

"**This is bullshit. I can take you down in 5 seconds flat." I say watching a smile flicker across my dad's face," I mean have you looked in the mirror lately. You're like five foot two and only weigh 125 pounds at the most. She looks at me and smiles. "You sure do smile a lot for someone who's job title is basically babysitter."**

"**Aiden you better watch your mouth. You have no idea what she has done for you. She saved your ass and you better realize It." says my dad in a mincing voice. I watch as she puts a hand on his arm instantly calming him.**

"**I got this Comrade."**

"**You don't have shit." I say looking at her, "You probably got this job because no Moroi wanted you. I bet you can't even kill a strigoi"**

**I watch as anger feels her eyes. "I killed my first strigoi when I was a senior. Well actually it was my first two. I was protecting my friends. We had been kidnapped. I got everyone out and started to fight. I was fighting when this guy who was crazy about me came back. I saw my friend being killed. I blamed myself for years, but I killed his murderer. I decapitated them, with a sword that hadn't been sharpened in years. I fought with them and matched them move for move. They may have been bigger, but I was better in the end. I escaped with a few scrapes and burns, but I lost my best guy friend that night, so don't think id hesitate slightly to lay your smart ass out on the ground." I could see the fury in her eyes. I'm pretty sure I took it too far with that comment. She held her fists clenched at her sides. I can see her literally shaking with anger, I watch as my dad places his hand over hers and I swear I can see the anger slowly leaving her body.**

" **Look I don't care what you've experienced you're not going to change me."**

"**I never said I wanted to change you. I just want to teach some discipline." I watch her, the anger completely gone now.**

"**I'm going to lunch now."**

"**Fine, but Practice starts at 6:00 don't be late" I walk far enough away that they think I'm gone, but still close enough that I can hear them.**

"**Rose, I know there's nothing I can say..." I hear my dad start, but she interrupts him.**

"**There's no hard feeling Comrade. I get it you left me for Tasha. She could give you something I never could." I watch from my hiding place among the plants and see that pain radiating off of them it's excruciating. How they manage to live with it blows my mind.**

"**Rose please. I need to explain."**

"**I don't want to hear it D. You left me and more importantly you left Lissa with some second choice Guardian." I watch her closely and I can see the pain in her face. They think they're alone, so the masks are down its just them.**

"**I'm sorry. What I did was a mistake. The only happiness that came from it was my son Aiden. I never should have left you alone." His voice seems to be almost pleading with her to understand.**

"**Dimitri I don't want to hear any excuses. I'm so sick of excuses. You have no idea how much it hurt to show up for practice and you not be there." I can see the tears building behind her eyes.**

"**Roza, I'm not giving you any excuse. I'm giving you an apology." I watch as they walk over to the bench and sit down. He reaches over to take her hand; she pulls away and stands up again. "Roza please believe me you're the only person I've ever felt about like this."**

"**Damn it Dimitri. That's the problem. I don't know what this is."**

"**I wake up thinking of you every day. I see your face everywhere. Not a moment goes by that you're not somewhere in my thoughts. I thought I lost you Roza and it scared me. I can't live without you and I don't want to. I love you and always have." From his position I can see him, he has tears in his eyes and he isn't trying to hide them.**

"**I've...I've gotta go meet Aiden. Bye Comrade."**

"**This isn't over Rosa. I've been transferred to help protect the school. We will finish this."**

**I watch her walk away towards where I'm hiding. "You can come out now Aiden. I know you're in there." I pop my head out of the bushes and stare at her in amazement.**

"**How'd you know I was there?" I ask honestly curious.**

"**I learned from the best." I catch my dad's smile and know she's talking about him.**

"**Will you teach me how to do that?" I ask walking with her towards the dorms.**

"**Yeah I will one day, but you should also know that if you're going to hide make sure your shoes aren't sticking out." I look at her and smile, she just laughs. We walk in silence, until we reach the cafeteria**

"**Rose?" I ask glancing down at her. When she looks up her mask in firmly back in place. She doesn't look unhappy, but to say she looked even remotely happy would be an understatement.**

"**Yeah?" she answers turning her face to look forward again. "What did you mean when y****ou said you knew me better then I knew myself?" We walked a little further before she turned and headed towards the Guardian dorms. I shake my head and continue on my way to my room.**


	2. Mini Hathaway?

**After my talk with Rose I decide to take a walk. I need to get my thoughts together. Walking out the building I see Aiden and her walking towards the dorms, so I turn and walk to the ****primary school campus. I turn quickly when I see a boy about eight get into a fighting position. I stand there and watch as a young girl gets into a stance that I'd only ever seen Rose get into. **_**She must be a Hathaway Fan.**_

**The boy strikes out at her, but ****misses as she skillfully dodges it. S**_**he's seven she can't be that good**_**. They haven't even learned to fight yet. I continue to watch as he misses until someone finally yells, "Come on Alex. What are you scared. Hit him back." I watch the girl smirk and punc****h the boy in the nose and then land a kick to stomach. He's knocked to the ground and she quickly pins him. **_**Damn that kid can fight.**_** I walk over once they're finished.**

"**That's why you shouldn't mess with me Blaze. The next time you decide to fight me, you won't be so lucky." I slip my mask on as I grab the two students, who I know now are Alex and Blaze. Alex, the girl, tries pulling from my grip.**

"**Let me go or I'll tell my mom." She threatens, Blaze looks up in horror and I notice he has a black eye, whi****le Alex is basically untouched. **_**Poor kid.**_

"**I'd let her go. Her mom is scary."**

"**I'll take my chances. Now you two are coming with me."**

"**Piç" I look down at her in confusion. Blaze pulls on my hand and I look at him.**

"**It's Turkish."**

**The rest of the wa****lk is in silence. Blaze tenses and we approach Kirova's office, while Alex doesn't seemed bothered at all. **_**Mini Hathaway in the making.**_** I shake my head as I let go of Blaze's arm to knock. Kirova opens the door and tenses when she sees Alex. She turns and**** walks back into her office leaving the door open for us to follow. I push Alex through the door and she sits comfortably in the chair in front of Kirova, Blaze follows her in and sits in the other chair.**

"**Alexandra, what have you done now?" A smile creeps onto the girl's young face. "This is what the third time today?" She asks and the Mini Hathaway shakes her head.**

"**Fourth." Answers Mini H.**

"**Would you like your Mother to be present?" asks Alberta ignoring Blaze and me.**

"**She's here?" the excitement is evident in her voice. Kirova shakes her head, "Yes I want her here."**

**We watch as she picks up the phone and dials a number. "It's Alex. No I haven't asked yet. Of course I will. Two minutes? Yes that should be fine." I watch as Mini Hathaway props her fe****et up on Kirova's desk. **_**This kid has nerve. I doubt even Rose would do that. **_**I guess Kirova sees me watching Alex. "Her mom did it too. She's has nothing on her mother."**

**Alex turns at looks back at the door, waiting on her mom. "You haven't seen anything**** yet. When I'm through with this school, you want know what hit you." I glance up to see Kirova with her head in her hands. She looks tired and I'd heard she was retiring soon. **_**Mini Hathaway probably has a lot to do with that. **_**She pulls her head up and loo****ks at Blaze. He hadn't said a word, unlike Alex.**

"**Blaze, you can leave. I'll call you in here later." The poor kid looks like he's just seen a strigoi. His head snaps up at the sound of his name, he slowly stands and walks past Alex. She mumbles something about being lucky. He opens the door running into a long brown-haired woman. His eyes shoot up and feel with fear; he looks back at Mini Hathaway.**

"**You are officially screwed Hathaway." My mouth drops ****open that**** was the most I'd heard him say. Wait. Did h****e say Hathaway? The ****woman turns**** towards Alex. **_**She has a daughter? Holy shit Alex really is Mini Hathaway.**_

"**Mom!" Yells Alex jumping out of her seat and running into Rose's outstretched arms. Rose holds her close to her before pulling back.**

"**Alexandra Raine Hathaway." The authority in Rose's voice is enough to knock Mini Hathaway's smile off her face. "Sit!" She orders. Alex turns and sits before Kirova again, this time though she looks scared. "Explain." Mini H looks up and grins at Rose. Rose in turn just glares down at her daughter.**

"**Alright, so Zack and I was playing over by the swings when out of nowhere Blaze comes running over and knocks Zack right onto the ground. Now mom if someone came over and knocked Aunt Lissa down, wouldn't you fight to protect her? Don't answer that because I know you would. So anyway I told Blaze he was the dumbest kid in the second grade and that I could beat him in a fight with my eyes closed." Alex's eyes never leave Rose. They stare at each other throughout the entire thing. " I guess I hurt his pride or whatever it's called because he jumped into a fighting a stance, a sloppy one at that mom, so I had no choice but to get into my stance."**

"**You always have a choice Alex." Rose says kneeling down to her daughter's height. Alex shakes her head.**

"**Not always mom. Not when I'm fighting for Zack. I didn't even try to hit him at first. He threw the first punch and that giant dude back there saw it. I saw him watching us, but I wasn't backing down." She says pointing at me and causing everyone to look at me.**

"**She didn't start it; he threw the first punch and missed. She dodged his punches, quite skillfully, and didn't strike until another kid said she was scared."**

"**Then I hit him in the face and kicked him in the stomach knocking the breath out of him long enough for me to pin him. You would have been proud mom." Interrupts Alex smiling at her mom.**

"**We will talk about this later Alex. What actions do you want to take Headmistress?" Rose looks down at Alex, who's still grinning like an idiot obviously proud of herself. Looking up Alex looks at her mom, Rose starts to turn her head and Alex's grin falls a little, until Rose quickly returns the kid's smile.**

"**I was thinking of assigning her a mentor. It'd keep her busy and she would stay ahead of her classes.**

**I was going to assign her to you, but since you already have private sessions with Belikov, I don't know who I'll assign her too."**

"**Oh. I think that'd be an excellent idea. I'm sure none of her teachers will volunteer either. She's made sure they all dislike her." Rose answers her guardian mask on. I could always read her and right now is no exception. Her eyes say everything. She's worried about her daughter. I notice she hasn't looked me in the eyes. I hurt her that much is obvious.**

"**I can mentor her. I mean I've already trained one of the greatest guardians of our time." Her eyes light up at the compliment. I never did compliment her enough. "How hard could a mini Hathaway be when I've already taught the original?" I ask locking eyes with Rose.**

"**As long as you agree Rose I see no problem with this arrangement." Kirova says causing Rose to break our eye contact. She shakes her head in agreement. We all turn to look when we hear a giggle come from the chair Alex is sitting in.**

"**She had the hots for you. I don't so it won't be so easy with me." I swear I feel my mouth drop open. No one would ever doubt she was Rose's daughter.**

"**Sorry Mini. I've got you beat, when I was seven I believe I was in this office about ten times a day and I didn't hold back in fights like you darling." I stop the laughter that wants to escape as Alex's face falls. "Alex. Sweetheart I think it's time for you to return to class." Alex looks up at Kirova who nods before walking out to where Guardian Youngblood is waiting for her. I watch as Rose leans out the door, "Oh Alex. I love you." I hear and echo reply of 'I love you too' before Rose shuts the door.**

"**Rose does Alex know Turkish?" I ask pulling her attention to me. She lets out a sigh and falls into the chair that Alex just left.**

"**What'd she say?" She asks trying to hold back her laughter.**

"**Piç" I say trying to pronounce it correctly. Kirova laughs at me and sighs before placing her head back in her hands.**

"**She is my daughter. No doubt about that."**

"**Never doubted for a second she wasn't" I say, "What'd she call me?"**

"**A bastard." **


	3. What she knows

Hey! I'm sorry for this lame, pointless, and late chapter. I've been busy with school lately and have had no time for writting. I've brainstormed tons though. I think this is important because it's Dimitri getting to know Alex. Tell me what you think.

* * *

Walking into the gym, I wonder how to set up for training with a seven year old. I'll make her run today. Hopefully she'll tell me about how Rose really is. Plus if I want to win Roza back, it wouldn't hurt to have Mini on my side. Sitting down I pull out an old torn and bent picture. looking down I stare into the eyes of a 17 year old who was smiling for the first time since she made her first kills and lost her best friend. My face falls into an relentless grin as I remember the short time that Rose had been mine. I never meant to hurt her by leaving. I just wanted to give her a chance to become a great Guardian.

"That's my mom. How old was she?" I feel myself jump as Alex speaks. Turning in my seat, I stare into familiar brown eyes. I bet she's the carbon copy of Rose at seven.

"I didn't hear you come in." I say instead of answering her question. Her lips turn up into a smirk; a smirk that is only described as 'Rose'. I stare at her waiting for an answer, which doesn't come until I ask, "How did you sneak up on a trained guardian?"

"My mom taught me. It wasn't hard you were pretty caught up in the picture." She answers walking towards the other side of the gym, where a rope hangs from one of the beams in the ceiling. "How old was she?" I watch as she grabs the rope and climbs up it, pulling herself onto the beam. Sitting there, she waits for my answer.

"Seventeen. What are you doing?"

"Sitting obviously. What are you doing?" She asks mimicking my voice. She knows how to push buttons.

"Get down from there now." I say hoping to cause her to flinch as Rose had. No luck she just laughs.

"Alexandra Raine Hathaway." I watch as her face falls and turn to see Rose leaning against the door.

"Okay. Tell Maestro not to get his panties in a bunch." What is it with Hathaways and nicknames? First Comrade and now Maestro.

"Beni orada gel yapmayin." (Do not make me come up there)

"Senden hoslaniyorum." (Like you could.)

I watch as Rose walks over to the rope and with a speed I've never seen climb to the top, grab Alex, and drop to the mats. She places Alex down and turns to me.

"She's a brat and probably won't listen but that's what makes her mine." I smile at her affection-filled voice. She loves her very much and I bet Mini feels the same way. Turning toward Alex, she changes languages. "Diye kalbimin Alex fakat onu dinler kirdi adam olabilir. Anlandin mi? Simdi koninis tanitmak." (He may be the guy who broke my heart Alex, but you will listen to him. Understand? Now introduce yourself.)

Alex nods her head and walks over to me. Extending her hand, she begins to talk. "Hey Maestro. My name is Alex Hathaway. Obviously, I'm Rose's daughter or at least people say it's obvious. I'm seven and that's ten years younger then when you met or 'captured' my mom. I'm in second grade and I'm bonded to Zak Dragomir." She drops my hand and turns toward Rose. "That good?" She asks smiling when Rose nods her head. "Well aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

"I'm Dimitri Belikov." I answer resisting the urge to smile as she frowns with lack of information. I turn when I hear a door close. Rose left without a word to me. "Let's start with what you know."

"I know that no matter how hard you try you can't baptize cats." I look at her with an 'are you serious' face. "Zak and I had seen a kid get baptized earlier that day and I saw this cat, so we tried to baptize it. It didn't work. I got scratched up, but I didn't let the cat anywhere near Zak."

"Why was that?" I ask causing her to send me a look that yelled 'are you serious'.

"I'm going to be his guardian. Duh would you let something hurt your charge?" She asks I nod 'no'. "So why would I?"

I shrug my shoulders and watch her think, her face lights up as she thinks of something else. "Did you know that garbage bags make awful parachutes?" I grin at that one. Lord knows how she learned that. "Jumped out my second story room. Broke my left arm, but Aunt Lissa fixed it."

"You jumped out a window?"

"I heard my mommy talking about how she used to do it."

"So what else do you know?" I ask staring at the little girl who reminds me so much of her mom it's almost painful.

"I know she loves you. I heard her and aunt Lissa on the phone. You must have messed up big." My mouth drops open as she stands to leave, "Bye. See ya Maestro." With that, she's gone and I can't move. Rose loves me. I have to win her back.

* * *

What'd you think?

Pointless?

Horrible?


	4. Kyleigh, Eavesdropping, and Hate

**Heyya guys. So this format totally sucks. I don't like it at all but i have to work with what i have. **

**Anyway I'm sorry this took so long but life caught up to me. **

**Anyway I hope you like this and you should tell me what you think.:) **

**Thanks Guys**

* * *

Walking out the cafeteria I see Kyleigh walking up ahead of me, looking down at my watch 5:55. Damn I had to meet Hathaway at 6. Instead of heading toward the gym I run after Kyleigh quickly catching up with her. Reaching out I grab her arm, she turns quickly swinging her arm out I duck in time and it barely misses me.

"Aiden, I'm sorry I thought...well I'm not sure what I thought." She says her voice so perfect sounding it gives me butterflies. She's beautiful. Her long black hair is pulled back in a pony tail and I resist the urge to pull it down. I stare into green eyes and feel almost hypnotized. "Aiden is everything okay?" Her question grabs my attention and a slight blush covers my cheeks.

Reaching out I push a loose piece of hair behind her ear and smile at her, "Yeah everything's fine I was just thinking about how beautiful you are." I watch the blush cover her cheeks as she smiles and looks toward the ground. "I have training in," I look at my watch and resist the urge to cuss, "well 5 minutes ago. You wanna meet up after words?" I ask staring into the green I love so much.

She smiles and brushes the hair from my face, "That'd be great I need to talk to you anyway." I feel my heart stop when she says this. Damn what had I done recently. I force a smile but she sees through it. "It's a good talk Aiden." The forced smile falls from my face and a real one takes it place.

Reaching out I pull her into my chest leaning my head down I place a kiss on her forehead as she looks up at me. "I'll see you around seven." I squeeze her one last time and let her go.

"Seven at the cabin?" She asks grinning at me. I shake my head and turn and walk towards the gym, "Shit I'm late." I say to no one in particular. I run to the gym and find Rose sitting against the wall a book in her hands and ear phones in. She'll never know I was late if I'm quiet.

"About time you decided to show Belikov." I look over at her and see she has the headphones out and the book is down but she hasn't moved.

"Yeah I had more important stuff to do than come train with you Petal." I say earning one of those cool one eyebrow moves my dad does. She stares at me but doesn't move. "Well are you going to get up or stare at me the entire time?" I ask shocking her out of her haze.

"Twenty Laps Belikov." I look at her like she's crazy, "Didn't I make myself clear. Run Now" The authority behind her voice causes me to flinch. How something that demanding can come out of someone so small surprises me. I drop my bag to the ground.

"Очень много I' m как раз идя сидеть снаружи. Знает кто она думает она" (Like hell I'm just going to sit outside. I don't know who she thinks she is.) I turn to walk away.

"Вы побежите Aiden. Я знаю русского" (You will run Aiden. I know Russian.) I stop walking as she speaks. Damn I'm screwed now. "Now run I'll check on you" I shake my head and walk outside.

Why does she know Russian? That's not even fair no one here knows Russian but me. Damn It. I step on the track and begin to run. By the tenth lap my lungs are burning begging for me to stop. I glance over at the gym and see her leaning against the door watching. I'm not going to show her I'm in pain. I push myself harder and faster and ignore the burning. By the fifteenth lap my lungs are screaming in protest and I feel like throwing up. I glance over and see a tall dark figure enter the gym. Dad. I finish my five laps and walk to the gym where I hear two raised voices, they're arguing. I lean closer to the door as listen.

"I'm not your 17 year old student anymore Dimitri." I hear the anger and strength in her voice.

"I didn't imply you were. " His voice sounds strained like he's trying and failing to hold back his emotion.

"Then why are you here? Do you want to hear that you hurt me and that despite it all I still love you? Is that what you want to hear?" She asks dropping the mask she had on her voice. I move over to the window and look inside.

"I want the truth Roza. Just the truth." I look back and forth between the two and you can literally see the pain coming off of them.

"I love you. Okay? I just can't be with you. I have more than myself to think about now." I lean closer to the window to get a better look.

"It's rude to listen to other people's conversations." I hear a little voice say as I turn around. I would know the voice anywhere she's always in the office before me.

"Hathaway aren't you a little outside your boundaries?" I ask staring at the little girl a smirk on my face.

"Shut up, I can go where ever I want too. Shouldn't you be sucking face with Kyleigh somewhere?" She asks the venom in her voice lethal. I stare down at her and finally realize who she reminds me of.

"Shit you're Mini Hathaway." I say earning a glare from her. For such a young kid she's scary.

She stares at me for a moment before climbing up next to me. "Who are you watching?" She asks before looking into the window. "Hey that's my mom and Belikov." Hold up she knows my dad?

"How do you know him?" I ask looking down into her brown eyes that look exactly like Rose's.

She turns back to the window and watches them for a moment before looking towards me. "He has to mentor me or something so I'll stay out of trouble. That's your dad isn't it?" She asks looking at me.

"Yeah It is." I answer looking back into the window, but I don't see them anymore, "Where the hell did they go?" I ask looking around inside the window.

I feel a tiny tug on my shirt and turn to look at Alex but instead I see Petal and Dad. "Shit."

"Watch your mouth Aiden." Says my dad his face completely expressionless, "Weren't you ever taught not to spy on people?"

"Ugh No and even if I was I wouldn't listen and Hathaway was listening too."

They both turn to look at her, "snitch" I hear her soft voice but it sounds anything but nice.

"Alexandra Raine Hathaway I know you were taught better than that." I feel bad for the kid as Rose speaks.

"I'm sorry." Kris lowers her eyes to the ground and looks back up with tears in her eyes. Damn she's good.

"It's okay sweetheart." The little girl wraps her arms around rose and smiles up at her.

I look over at them and feel disgusted. She's why my mom left. She's why I can't have a happy family. I hate Rose Hathaway. I look over at my dad and he looks like he's in a daze. He loves her that much is obvious. Mini looks so happy; it's not fair I want that. I want to feel happy. "I got somewhere to be." I say walking away. My dad starts to follow but I hold my hand up and he stops.

* * *

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	5. Escort

I watch him turn the corner before turning back to Dimitri and Alex, I breathe out rather loudly gaining the attention of the two, interrupting their staring contest. "Look Alex Guardian Belikov is going to walk you back to your dorm; you will stay there until I come to get you. Do you understand me?" I actually feel bad for the academy, they thought once I graduated I was gone but they never guessed I'd have a kid who was almost as bad as me. I stand there waiting for an answer that doesn't come, "Alexandra."

"Sure, whatever but I don't need an escort."

"Sweetheart you need so much more than an escort. We're going to talk about your behavior later and how it better improve." I turn and walk in the direction Aiden had left in. I don't make it far before she decides the conversation isn't over.

"You know it won't get any better, being bad is just too much fun." Ignoring her I head towards the cabin, the one place I know I can be alone to think. I make it half way to the cabin before he catches up; his heavy breathing giving him away. No matter how in shape you are running that far that fast can take your breath away.

I walk ahead my pace slowing slightly allowing him to catch up. We don't talk, not because there isn't anything to say but because in my case there is so much to say that I don't know where to start. Once we reach the lake it just all pours out. "You know there was a time when you said you knew me, I was like an open book to you there was nothing I could hide from you, well really hide from you. The thing is I thought I knew you too, like really knew you. I could look at your face, even with your guardian mask in place, and see your every emotion." I can feel his gaze on me and the goose bumps rising on my arms.

His arm reaches out to turn me towards him but I refuse to look at him because the moment I do it'll all come rushing back, the memories that haunt my dreams. The ones that constantly bounce around in my head all day, every day since he left. The ones I've managed to block while awake, but if he touches me, well my wall just isn't that strong, not yet anyway. "Rose I'm exactly the same person I was then."

"No Dimitri you're not. That man, the one I'm talking about ceased to exist as soon as he decided to leave his 17 year old student mentorless and not to mention brokenhearted."

"Well Rose you aren't exactly the same person you were back then. You mentor students at your old academy, Lissa isn't your charge and you have a five year old daughter. What happened to your life?"

"I mentor students at my old academy because I didn't want to see your son ruin his life the way I almost did. I didn't want to see a novice who has the ability to be amazing turn his back on the guardianship because he's pissed at his dad. I am Lissa's guardian. She teaches a class here at St. Vladimir on spirit so future spirit users will understand what is happening to them and won't be out in the dark like we were. That five year, well she's my entire world and the best thing to ever happen to me. She may be a brat but that's what makes her mine." My voice is louder than I wanted but when I turn to look at him I can see that I got my point across. "What happened to your life? You had such a promising career as a guardian, you were amazing but then you were gone."

"Life happened to me Rose. I left here to join Tasha, I thought if I could put some distance between us that you would forget me and move on with your life. I wanted you to become the best guardian you could."

"Don't pull that shit with me! You left because you wanted to. It got to hard here so you ran. You ran to her and her fringe benefits." The second part may take it too far but I want him to feel the pain that I've been living with.

"Don't you ever call my son a fringe benefit." His face well let me put it this way, the guardian mask would be better than this. "She's a mistake isn't she? You don't even know who the father is do you? I bet it was a one night stand."

Stepping closer to him I ignore the fire burning inside me and in the most menacing voice I can manage I say, "Do not ever call Alex a mistake, if she's anything it's a miracle. She saved me from myself. Before she came into my life I wasn't sure of anything all I knew was that something was missing. She was that something Dimitri." I take a deep breath before I reveal one of my darkest secrets, "Have you ever been driving down the road, down an interstate or somewhere the speed limit is 65 or above?"

"What are you talking about Rose?" I just stare at him and focus myself. I have to tell him, I need him to see how much he broke me so he can understand why I refuse to let him back into my life even if he's always in my heart. "You know I have Rose."

"Then the road curves and your instincts are to turn the wheel a little bit. It's something you don't really even think about once you drive a couple times."

"Rose, what's your point?" I walk a little further into the woods, sit on the ground and bring my knees to my chest.

"Before Alex came into my life, I would wonder what it would be like to just not turn the wheel, to jump the curve and speed down the bank into whatever was down there." I lay my head on my knees. I don't hear him move but before I know it I feel him sitting beside, turning enough to see him I watch him battle with himself, maybe he's going to open up to me for once.

"After I left the Academy I was driving out to where Tasha was staying." I feel myself cringe as he says her name, no matter how much time has passed it still hurts. "I was going maybe 80 at the time and all I could see were the tears rolling down your face as you asked me why. It wasn't just a flashback Rose; it was like I had to relive it for the rest of my life. I was watching it from outside us; I could see both of us, you and me. I was coming up to an intersection when I saw it; it was one of those 18 wheelers I think. I was just sitting there and before I knew what I was doing my foot was on the gas and I was speeding out in front of a truck so large there was no way it could stop. The entire time all I could see was a world where you weren't there and I just couldn't stop myself."

"What happened?"

"He swerved and I sped away." I lift my head and see the tear trails on his cheeks. Ignoring the need to comfort him I stretch my legs out.

"I'm glad you didn't die Dimitri. I may feel like I hate you at times but I know it's not true."

"Why do you keep holding on Rose?" I start to answer with I don't know but this conversation is too deep for such a pathetic answer.

"Whenever I tried to let go it was like this little voice inside my head said not to, so I didn't. I've tried thousands of times and each time I hear it, the same voice saying the same thing. I didn't ignore it one time, the voice."

"What happened?"

"Alex happened. After that time I just gave up. I built up a wall to protect myself from love." We sit there in silence awhile before I think to tell him. "I know about Tasha."

"How?" I can feel regret rolling off him in waves as he composes himself.

"I was out one night, ya know covering the perimeter and I saw her. I was so surprised I didn't notice the nausea consuming me. By the time I realized it she was so close I could see her eyes burning red. She didn't act like a normal strigoi; I mean she didn't just attack. She said something first."

"What did she say Rose?"

"You ruined my life Rosemarie Hathaway and one day I will have my revenge."

"You killed her."

"I had no choice. How'd it happen?"

"She chose it. I told her I was leaving to find you that I couldn't live like that anymore. She ran out and I never saw her again."

"I'm sorry; I've caused you so much trouble and pain."

"All of the pain and tears were worth the few months we spent together. For that short time Rose I was the luckiest man alive. Those few times I held you in my arms were some of the best in my entire life. I haven't been that happy since I left. The entire time I was away all I could think was that I had broke you."

"You got Aiden from that time in your life Dimitri just like I got Alex." His face changes and all that was there is gone. I can see the love he has for his son but the regret clouds it.

"Every time I look at Aiden I wish I had been a better father, maybe hid the fact that I didn't love his mother a little better."

"He didn't want her, Alex I mean. Her father left before she was born. He was gone the moment the words 'I'm pregnant 'left my mouth, so the way I see it Aiden at least got to know both of his parents."

"Well he's missing out. Alex is a little firecracker."

"She's something" I say laughing. "Do you think we'd still have all those problems today if you hadn't left?"

"You mean the age difference and Lissa?" I shake my head and watch the wheels turn in his head as he thinks. "I think that all relationships have problems and as soon as one is solved another rises. That's what a relationship is Rose, problem after problem."

"That isn't right D, a relationship has problems true but they aren't the entire relationship." Turning towards him I smile sadly. "I think if we had talked like this back then we could have made it."

"What about now?"

"There isn't a relationship to save."

"What if there was?"

"There isn't though." I answer standing up to leave.

"Where are you going?" He stands up and his grace still amazes me.

"I have to take Alex on a walk, tuck her in, and read her a bedtime story."

I turn to walk away but he catches my arm. "Can I walk with you; I want to get to know Alex." I pull my arm away before answering him.

"You'll have to ask her. She has this temper and honestly right now I don't think i can handle one of the famous Hathaway meltdowns. I love her but I can only take so much." He laughs, the sound catches me off guard I hadn't heard it in so long, but it sounds exactly the same.

I cut my eyes and look at him, "I wouldn't laugh too much Comrade."

"Why is that Rose?"

"Because you're her mentor and that means you will eventually witness a Hathaway meltdown." The smile falls from his face and I instantly regret what I said.

"What's she like?"

"Alex is completely indescribable; I couldn't come up with a word good enough to describe her if I spent the rest of my life looking." I stop walking causing Dimitri to run into me.

"What is it?"

"It's just, isn't this weird to you?"

"What?"

I let out a sigh before walking again. "You know like we were arguing earlier but now we've talked more than ever before."

"It always feels weird when I'm with you Rose." Turning to walk away I feel his hand grab mine and pull me to a stop. "When I'm with you Rose it's weird because I feel like time stops, like the entire world stops turning. Minutes feel like hours and hours like days, whenever I'm in your presence Rose I feel like I can take on anything the world throws my way."

"You are a corn ball Comrade and I love it!" I say laughing at his confused expression. "It means that was so corny it worked." My laughter quiets once we get close to Alex's dorm. "Be ready for a very ill Alex."

"Come on; let's go get your daughter."


	6. Would we have worked?

Rounding the corner I see a tiny figure hiding behind a bush next to the dorms, reaching over I grab Dimitri's arm pulling him closer to me trying to get his attention silently. His body turns towards mine and I can feel his eyes watching me but my eyes are on his lips. Raising my eyes, I stare into liquids of brown and the emotion he's letting show captivates me. I hear a twig crack followed by a quiet mumble. "Alex is behind that bush." My voice comes out quieter than I intended, so he leans closer towards my face just as a little tornado crashes into my legs knocking me against him. My face lands inches from his and his arms wrap around me helping me stand. Our eyes meet and I don't hold any of the emotions I've felt since he left back. His mouth opens but before he can say anything, my tornado of destruction does.

"I got you Mommy!" Damn that's the first time too. I watch her face brighten when she sees who's holding me up. "I got Maestro too!" Just like that whatever Dimitri and I were going through ends. He pulls back from me and kneels in front of Alex.

"Don't call me that." I laugh as the words leave his mouth; he said them to me so much they bring memories. Painful memories that I want to forget.

"Might as well get used to it Comrade." He rises from his kneeled position in front of Alex and leans against a nearby tree making it easier for me to see his eyes and that annoying one eyebrow thing. Why can everyone but me do that?

"Why do you say that?"

"Did I give up?" I ask looking around for my daughter who it seems, is hiding from me. I see her just as she lands on Dimitri's back, causing his face to widen in shock. "She got you."

"Quiet little monster aren't you?" He asks getting ready to flip her over his shoulder, I start to warn him not to that but decide against it. Her legs wrap around his neck just before she's all the way over. Looking up at her face, I see she's completely in mini guardian mode. I love this. Laughter bubbles from me causing Dimitri to glare in my direction. Holding my hand up I signal for a drop, he shoots me a look but compiles. His hands go up and tickle her until she relaxes and falls towards the ground. I catch her just before she hits and pin her to the ground with one arm while tickling her with the other.

"Say it Mini."

"I give." She yells in between her fits of laughter. I smile and release her from my hold, looking around my eyes see his tall form standing there; even in the dark, he's gorgeous. Turning towards Dimitri she sticks her lower lip out and yells, "You cheated."

When he steps into the light, I see his guardian mask, "Why do you say that?" His voice is emotionless and even.

"We didn't even talk to each other kid." Alex's face scrawls at the word kid she doesn't appreciate when people call her that. Looking back at Dimitri I try to read past his mask but it's too strong.

"You did that creepy talking without talking thing." Then I see it the mischievous look reflected in their eyes. Oh, shit! I jump up from the ground but I'm too late, Dimitri tackles me to the ground he holds his face inches from mine then slightly moves his head, calling Alex to him.

"Alexandra Raine Hathaway do not move a step!"

"Don't worry Alex I won't let her get you." She hesitates slightly then runs towards us.

"You are so dead Dimitri Belikov." His face lights up just as Alex runs into him stunning him long enough for me to flip us. Hathaways-1 Belikovs-0

"Did you really think you could turn her against me Comrade?" His face remains neutral as he stares at me. "I rule Comrade, go ahead ask her." Laughing I stare down at him then move slightly so Alex can land on his stomach.

"Do not tickle me!" He warns Alex looks up at me as if asking permission.

"Go for it Mini." She does. This isn't like our normal nightly routine, ever since I'd left her here, we always talk before bedtime but when I come to visit, we go for walks. Dimitri laughs slightly but fights to stop smiling I look between the two.

"Run Alex." Her eyes widen in fear as she hops up and runs full speed towards her dorm. Laughing slightly I release Dimitri and stand. "Where she go?"

"To bed, come on I have to tuck her in." Dimitri stops outside her doorway as I enter. Turning around he shakes his head slightly. "Alex, where is my little Guardian at?" I ask looking around the room ignoring the figure laying under her covers. Walking over I lay across the bed and smile when she erupts into giggles.

"Mommy you're squishing me!"

"What Alex? Is that you?" I turn my head as if to look around to find the voice. "Where are you Mini?"

"Get off Silly I'm under you." Standing up I laugh as she uncovers her head and smiles at me. "Story time."

"Which one is it tonight?"

Her eyebrows pull together in that adorable way when she thinks. "Tell me one about Dimitri." I look towards the door and he smiles at me. He wants to hear this as much as she does.

"One day during Trials I was walking across the campus with Aunt Lissa when we ran into this novice, his name was Shane I think. He has been drinking which was obvious by the way, he smelled. We were talking to him when something moved beside us." I stop talking to pull the covers up to her neck and look at Dimitri who had sat down outside her door. His eyes open when he senses me watching him. I shoot him a smile before turning back towards Alex.

"Was it a Strigoi?"

"No sweetie Remember the school has wards to protect against that." I smile as her smile drops and she waits for me to continue. "I didn't hesitant. I knew it was moving too fast to be anything but a threat. It was dressed in all black and I threw myself between it and Lissa. My attacker, Jean, was taller than me, but I managed to land a punch to her face."

"Mommy everyone is taller than you." Dimitri lets out a laugh in the hallway and I glare at Alex.

"She fell back from the hit but then another came up beside her. I jumped so that I was standing between the two I kicked out and knocked Jean into him causing them both to stumble. In that brief moment I pulled, my practice stake out and aimed for Jean's heart. I hit my mark and she 'died'."

"You killed her! But mommy she's a teacher at my school." I laugh at her shock before shaking my head.

"It was a fake stake sweetie. When you're a senior novice you take your trials which are when guardians dress as strigoi and attack you."

"Oh. Okay."

"With jean technically dead I turned my attention towards my next threat, Yuri, we circled each other both attacking and feinting. When he made major move I quickly move from his grip and held him long enough to 'stake' him." I stop talking when I see her staring out into the hallway.

"Maestro," Turning I see Dimitri open his eyes. "You can sit in here." He crosses the room in a couple of strides and sits on the floor at the foot of her bed.

"Turning towards the fight going on behind me I see Dean facing off with the final attacker. He wasn't doing so well. His practice stake was on the ground, and his moves were sloppy and unsteady. It was pathetic so I pushed him out of the way because he was a liability." I let out a breath and look towards Alex. "Turning to face my opponent; I saw: Dimitri." She gasps in surprise and sits up on the bed.

"You fought Dimitri?"

"Many times sweetie." I answer glancing down at Dimitri. With his eyes closed a smile lighting his face he looks exactly like the man I fell in love with. "It was unexpected honestly. At First I didn't think I could fight him but then I had been doing it for the last six months and I knew that right now he was my enemy and not Dimitri."

"I bet you lost Mommy." I glare at her earning myself a giggle.

"I sprang toward him hoping to catch him off guard, but Dimitri is hard to catch by surprise. I had said I was fast earlier but he was faster, so much faster. It was like he knew what I was going to do before I did and it allowed him to halt my attack with a blow to the head."

Alex gasps in outrage and glares at Dimitri. "You can't hit above the shoulders Maestro." I laugh at her and he opens his eyes.

"We weren't practicing Mini, so there were no rules."

"It's still bad."

"I focused and tried to remember everything he had taught me and everything I knew about him. He knew my moves but I also knew his. When I used that knowledge in the fight, everything grew tricky. We were evenly matched, but finally Dimitri broke through and moved in for an attack. I blocked the worst of it but he was so strong that I stumbled from the impact."

"Oh my god! You did lose!"

"He didn't waste the opportunity and dragged me to the ground, trying to pin me. Being in that position with a strigoi would result in death and I couldn't die. I had to protect Lissa. I managed to nail him in the face with my elbow causing him to flinch. It was all I needed to roll him and hold him down. He fought to push me off but I fought back while trying to get a grip on my stake. Then just when I thought, I couldn't hold him any longer I got a good grip on my stake. I brought it down over his heart. It was done. I had won."

"Mommy! You beat Dimitri." I stand from the bed and smile down at her. Leaning down I pull the covers back up and kiss her forehead. "Goodnight Mini. I love you."

"Night mommy. Love you too." She closes her eyes but opens them one last time. "Night Maestro."

"Goodnight." Turning we walk from the room towards the exit.

When we step out the door, the wind blows whipping my hair in my face. Looking over I see Dimitri watching me no it's more like studying me. I try to raise one eyebrow but from his expression, it didn't actually work to well. Damn.

"Why'd you pick that story?"

"It was the one time before you left that I knew you were proud of me." I stop walking when a hand wraps around my arm. Turning to face him, I look up and his hand slides off my arm and into my hand.

"I was always proud of you Rose. Always." He tugs on my hand pulling me closer until we stand toe to toe. "You could never let me down. Do you understand me?" The seriousness of his voice takes me by surprise and I find myself unable to answer. "Do you?"

"I understand Comrade." And for what seems like the millionth time tonight, I find myself face to face with Dimitri Belikov. "You're why I changed."

"What do you mean changed?" I watch his lips as he speaks and he sound of his accent makes me wish he were saying my name.

"Before you I was this reckless, self-centered, undisciplined teenager who had no impulse control." I answer adverting my eyes towards the ground. "I couldn't stand the thought of letting you down or putting your training to shame so I tried to change and before I knew it I had. I became someone who for the most part thought before acting and didn't always resort to insults or physical violence."

"Rose you didn't change for me. You changed for Lissa and yourself."

"I may have changed for Lissa and myself a little but for the most part it was because of you." Letting go of his hand I smile and walk towards the guardian dorms. "Goodnight Comrade." I call back while glancing over my shoulder. Then much quieter so that only I can hear I whisper, "I love you."

"Goodnight Roza." I smile at the way my name sounds in Russian I had always loved the way he said it.


	7. Playtime

Walking through the courtyard my thoughts wander back to years before, to a time before I hurt her, before I left her all alone, to a time when she still loved me. I can still feel her lips on mine, the way her breath so warm and sweet felt against my skin moments before our lips would meet. I never should have left her, it was a mistake and I clearly see that now. Aiden is the only reason I'm happy I left. I may not have the type of relationship with him that I want but it's more than I had with my father. I regret allowing my ever-present feelings for Rose allow Tasha to leave not me but our son. She left a broken six-year-old behind, all because I couldn't convince myself that I could and did love her. "You can't beat me Blaze. Do you not remember earlier in the week?" Yells a voice off in the woods, changing direction I walk into the woods. Turning the corner I watch as Alex stares at the kid from earlier in the week, her fist clenched.

His hand twitches as he balls it up, "You got lucky Hathaway." Her jaw tightens and I almost miss seeing her punch, it's thrown that fast. Her stance and movements are still sloppy and I shake my head and move forward just as Blaze throws a punch hitting her in the eye. The anger inside her intensifies; her fist connects with his nose. His blood flies everywhere just as I move in to break it up she lands a blow to his stomach.

"I do not get lucky Blaze. I can just kick your butt." My hand lands around her arm as I pull her back before she can kick him again. I look down at Blaze and wince, the kid is pretty messed up.

"Blaze" His eyes meet mine when I say his name. "You have two options; the first is I can report this incident and you both will receive punishment. The second option entitles no one else finding out about this. Which option do you prefer?"

"The…the second one." Alex laughs as he stammers out his answer. I jerk my head telling him to leave while tightening my hold on Alex, not to the point of hurting her though. He jumps up and runs out the woods.

"Let go of me!" She jerks away from my hold and stares at me. She's a little Rose. No matter how many times I'm faced with this realization I can't help but still be taken aback.

"Do you want to tell me how much trouble you are in?"

A smile lights her face as she stares at me. I can see the wheels turning in her head as she looks up at me. "I don't know. How much did you see?" I shake my head and grab her hand.

"Let's go."

"Go where?"

"Gym"

She tries to snatch away but I'm expecting it this time. "I'm not going to the gym. I don't care who you are. I'm going to eat."

I stay silent and practically drag her to the gym. Once we reach the track I let go of her. "Run."

"No"

"Now Hathaway or I'll have you expelled from this school so fast you won't know what happened. Do you understand me?" She doesn't answer but instead starts to jog. "I said run not jog. Full speed until I say otherwise." She speeds up but she still isn't full speed. The farther around the track she goes, the slower she is.

Once she reaches me she stops. "I…can't…do…this." She stammers out between breaths.

"Come on Hathaway. You sound out of breath. You mom never said 'can't'." She glares at me.

"No I've got more." With that she's off again. I watch her and this time she gets further before slowing down.

She runs a couple more laps before I yell for her, "Alright Mini you can stop now. That's enough for today." She shakes her head and I watch in amazement as she starts another lap. "Don't shake your head at me Hathaway, I said stop. You're going to hurt yourself."

She slows down and stops in front of me. "It's not like you care. You only act like you do because you like my mom." I shake my head at her.

"I do care Alex. If I didn't care then I never would have volunteered to help you. Do you think I would waste my time trying to help someone I didn't care about?"

"You just want my mom back. It shouldn't be hard to win her over. You don't have to act like you care about me, she loves you."

I kneel infront of her hoping it'll get my point across better. "I care about you Alex, not because you're a mini Hathaway. I want to help you because I believe you could be a great guardian one day. I want to help you because I think you have talent, it just needs to be controlled. I'm helping you because I don't want you to have the past your mom does."

"Okay." I almost shake my head at her simple answer but I refrain knowing Rose was exactly the same way. "Can I go eat now? I'm starving."

I laugh and shake my head, watching her walk off in the direction of the cafeteria. She most definitely is the daughter of Rose Hathaway. She runs for an entire practice and all she's worried about is food.


	8. You don't Care

Walking through the courtyard my thoughts wander back to years before, to a time before I hurt her, before I left her all alone, to a time when she still loved me. I can still feel her lips on mine, the way her breath so warm and sweet felt against my skin moments before our lips would meet. I never should have left her, it was a mistake and I clearly see that now. Aiden is the only reason I'm happy I left. I may not have the type of relationship with him that I want but it's more than I had with my father. I regret allowing my ever-present feelings for Rose allow Tasha to leave not me but our son. She left a broken six-year-old behind, all because I couldn't convince myself that I could and did love her. "You can't beat me Blaze. Do you not remember earlier in the week?" Yells a voice off in the woods, changing direction I walk into the woods. Turning the corner I watch as Alex stares at the kid from earlier in the week, her fist clenched.

His hand twitches as he balls it up, "You got lucky Hathaway." Her jaw tightens and I almost miss seeing her punch, it's thrown that fast. Her stance and movements are still sloppy and I shake my head and move forward just as Blaze throws a punch hitting her in the eye. The anger inside her intensifies; her fist connects with his nose. His blood flies everywhere just as I move in to break it up she lands a blow to his stomach.

"I do not get lucky Blaze. I can just kick your butt." My hand lands around her arm as I pull her back before she can kick him again. I look down at Blaze and wince, the kid is pretty messed up.

"Blaze" His eyes meet mine when I say his name. "You have two options; the first is I can report this incident and you both will receive punishment. The second option entitles no one else finding out about this. Which option do you prefer?"

"The…the first one." Alex laughs as he stammers out his answer. I jerk my head telling him to leave while tightening my hold on Alex, not to the point of hurting her though. He jumps up and runs out the woods,

"Let go of me!" She jerks away from my hold and stares at me. She's a little Rose. No matter how many times I'm faced with this realization I can't help but still be taken aback.

"Do you want to tell me how much trouble you are in?"

A smile lights her face as she stares at me. I can see the wheels turning in her head as she looks up at me. "I don't know. How much did you see?" I shake my head and grab her hand.

"Let's go."

"Go where?"

"Gym"

She tries to snatch away but I'm expecting it this time. "I'm not going to the gym. I don't care who you are. I'm going to eat."

I stay silent and practically drag her to the gym. Once we reach the track I let go of her. "Run."

"No"

"Now Hathaway or I'll have you expelled from this school so fast you won't know what happened. Do you understand me?" She doesn't answer but instead starts to jog. "I said run not jog. Full speed until I say otherwise." She speeds up but she still isn't full speed. The farther around the track she goes, the slower she is.

Once she reaches me she stops. "I…can't…do…this." She stammers out between breaths.

"Come on Hathaway. You sound out of breath. You mom never said 'can't'." She glares at me.

"No I've got more." With that she's off again. I watch her and this time she gets further before slowing down.

She runs a couple more laps before I yell for her, "Alright Mini you can stop now. That's enough for today." She shakes her head and I watch in amazement as she starts another lap. "Don't shake your head at me Hathaway, I said stop. You're going to hurt yourself."

She slows down and stops in front of me. "It's not like you care. You only act like you do because you like my mom." I shake my head at her.

"I do care Alex. If I didn't care then I never would have volunteered to help you. Do you think I would waste my time trying to help someone I didn't care about?"

"You just want my mom back. It shouldn't be hard to win her over. You don't have to act like you care about me, she loves you."

I kneel infront of her hoping it'll get my point across better. "I care about you Alex, not because you're a mini Hathaway. I want to help you because I believe you could be a great guardian one day. I want to help you because I think you have talent, it just needs to be controlled. I'm helping you because I don't want you to have the past your mom does."

"Okay." I almost shake my head at her simple answer but I refrain knowing Rose was exactly the same way. "Can I go eat now? I'm starving."

I laugh and shake my head, watching her walk off in the direction of the cafeteria. She most definitely is the daughter of Rose Hathaway. She runs for an entire practice and all she's worried about is food.


	9. Love?

**This is from Aiden's Point of View**

Walking into the gym my eyes fall on her, the gracefulness of her steps still amaze me even after spending the last three years with her. Her long blonde hair is tied up in a high ponytail but strands of it have fallen and frame her face. I close the door behind me as quietly as possible and sit my bag down. It falls a little harder than I anticipated causing her to turn towards me. Beads of sweat line her forehead but to me she still looks beautiful. As I walk closer I can see a smile lighting her face, making her seem that much more like an angel.

"Aiden I thought you had forgotten about me." She stops a few steps away from me, her hands on her hips. I smile at her before pulling her into my arms for a hug. Her scent surrounds me and for the first time in a while I feel truly relaxed.

"You know I could never forget about you." I answer placing a kiss on her head. I love her, hell I've loved her since middle school. She's what dreams are made of; I don't know how I would survive without her, she's such a huge part of my life.

She pulls back from the hug slightly to look into my eyes, "good because if you forgot about me who would do this?" I raise my eyebrow in a way she never can, causing her to giggle just before her lips touch mine. I know it may sound cliché but I feel sparks whenever we kiss or touch. She's absolutely amazing. She pulls back, smiles and turns to return to the punching bag. She hits the bag a few times quite pitifully before looking back at me. "Are you going to stand there or help me?"

"I kinda like the view."

"Aiden Kristofer Belikov get over here or so help me..."

I smile at her; I love it when she's irritated. "Or you'll what Kyleigh Elizabeth Jayron?"

Her face falls slightly before she answers, "I'll never talk to you again." My mouth drops open until she smiles.

"Like you could resist talking to me, you love me too much to not talk to me."

"While I do love you I feel that learning to defend myself so that I can remain alive maybe just the tinniest bit more important."

"Yeah I think I prefer you alive but if you weren't you wouldn't talk as much." My mouth drops open just as I pull her into my arms. I just can't get over how perfectly she fits. "Just kidding Ky I love you."

She lays her head on my chest, sighs, and closes her eyes. "I love you too. Now get your cute little butt out here and teach me how to fight."

"Yes mam." She pushes off my chest, her hand catching in mine allowing her to pull me into the center of the gym back to the punching bag. "Okay Ky get in your fighting stance." I watch her get into the sloppiest stance I've ever seen. Walking closer I hit her back leg, "Bend this more, it should hold about seventy percent of your weight. Now your front leg should be slightly bent so that you have a good sense of balance.

"How's this?" She asks fixing her legs. I nod slightly causing her to smile.

"Now get your hands up unless you want that pretty face of yours messed up Darlin." Her hands shoot up causing me to laugh. She wants to fight but not get hit in the face; this is going to be fun.

"Don't laugh at me Belikov"

"I'm sorry, forgive me?"

"Never" She smiles at me and my heart literally melts. Damn I love this girl. "Anyway back to training me."

"Alright get back in your stance. Hands up Ky."

"Oh yeah." She holds her hands up. Walking closer I move her hand down so it's below her eyes.

"Hands go below you eyesight. You need to be able to see your attacker." She nods her head and looks at me. "No your eyes stay ahead of you at all times. Do not under any circumstances take your eyes off of your attacker. "She nods again but her eyes stay ahead focused on the wall. "Good now relax."

Her hands fall to her sides and she turns to look at me. "I'm hungry Aiden."

"you're always hungry." She glares at me and balls her fist up. "If you punch me with your thumb that way you'll break it." She relaxes her hand and walks over to her bag.

"I'm hungry; I was here hours before you showed up. Let's go eat." Picking her bag up she swings it across her back and stops to stare at me.

"See something you like Ky."

"Nope." She smiles at me before walking over to me. "I see something I love."

Picking my bag up, I walk over and slip my hand through hers. "Come on, what do you want to eat?"

"Pepperoni pizza, brownies, and a monster." I turn to look at her and she laughs.

"What?" I ask.

"The face you just made, I love it." She answers laughing.

"Shut up Darlin. Let's go get a pepperoni pizza, brownies, and two monsters."


	10. Hatred

**BTW: Rose's POV**

"Hey Comrade wait up." I yell jogging up next to him. He turns and stares at me a second longer than necessary and I feel like a seventeen year old girl caught in his spell. "How are you adjusting to being back at the academy?" Small talk? Really that's what our relationship has dwindled down to?

He keeps walking ignoring my question just like he always has. "Would you like to get lunch with me?" I turn my head to look at him before answering with a nod of my head. Walking into the cafeteria we bypass all the grumbling students, and grab some lunch before heading back outside.

"I always hated when teachers did that."

"Did what?" he asks his eyes staying focused ahead of us.

I move closer to him and bump him with my hip, "Are you okay? You seem a little withdrawn."

"I've always been withdrawn Rose."

I sigh and stop ¸"Yeah with everyone else but never with me. I know sometimes you wouldn't answer my questions but it was never like this."

He stops, looks back at me and sits his lunch down. "_I_ feel like we need to talk. I know we need to talk. I just…I can't figure out how to start."

Walking over I sit my lunch down beside his before turning my back to him and walking a few feet away. "When you left my entire world fell apart, I cursed you every night for what must have been a year. I threw myself into my training and became the best novice in my year and the school's history. I was a kickass fighter but socially I was like you. I had no real friends, yeah I had Lissa but I think she stayed more out of loyalty than because she wanted to."

His hand closes around my shoulder and I turn to stare up into orbs of brown. "When I left you Rose I wasn't happy. I can't remember a time when I've ever been so miserable. "

I shrug away from his hand and watch as it falls to his side. "Even if you were miserable, that doesn't change the fact that you left me. You left me all alone when I needed you the most but that's okay because I never knew how strong I really was until being strong was my only choice."

"You still haven't forgiven me have you?" His eyes hold mine making it impossible to look away.

"I forgave you a long time ago."

His mouth lifts a little at my admission but I already know his next question and he's not going to like the answer. "Then you can give us a shot?" Yep I was right he isn't going to like the answer.

"No."

"No?"

"No, I held onto my hatred for years."

"What does that have to do with us?"

"I don't hate you Dimitri but I don't know if I'll ever love you the same way again."

"I'm exactly the same person you said you loved all those years ago."

"Exactly Comrade you're the same but I've changed. I'm no longer some love struck seventeen year old who's trying to win over her mentor."

"I've held on to us Rose."

"I let go Dimitri."

"Why?"

"It hurt too much to hold on."

He reaches out and closes his hand around mine and tilts my chin up so I'm once again staring into his eyes. "Can you honestly say you have no feelings left for me?"

"No."

"Then what's the problem."

I sigh and pull away from him; it's easier to think when I'm touching him. "You ripped my heart out Dimitri and stomped on it when you chose Tasha over me. How can you expect me to care? Why would I go on loving you? Do you like to torture me?"

"Rose."

"No all I ever did was love you Dimitri. I gave you everything I possibly could. I never thought that the worst thing you would ever do would be to me. I never thought you would hurt me but I've never been as hurt as I was back then, as I still am." I can feel the tears building behind my eyes but I don't care. I'm so tired of acting like it doesn't hurt.

I close my eyes but open them when I feel his hand resting on my cheek. "I never meant to hurt you Roza you have to know that. I loved you then, I still love you now, and I will love you for the rest of my life."

"Then try to understand that I just, I can't do this. I don't know if I'll ever be okay enough for there to be an us but I do love you. I will never stop loving you but there's only so much I can take. My heart can't handle a relationship right now. I haven't had a relationship since you, the one time I slept with someone I woke up and he was gone. Nine months later and I was holding a baby who didn't have a dad. That was the day I gave up."

"Okay." He pulls me into his arm and I listen to his heartbeat under his shirt. It's a soothing sound that I've missed. "I will never let go Roza. I will hold on until you're ready. Remember that."


End file.
